Victor Willis, Village People front man, dies at 74

By Jack Guy, CNN

(CNN) — Singer Victor Willis, front man of disco group the Village People, died Tuesday at age 74.

“It is with profound sadness that I must announce the death of my husband,” a post on his official Facebook page published Wednesday reads.

“Victor passed away on Tuesday June 30, 2026 as a result of a short, but aggressive illness. The family request privacy at this time of great loss,” it adds.

A separate post on the Village People Facebook page said the group were “profoundly sad” to announce the death of the singer.

Willis co-wrote the group’s biggest hits, including “YMCA,” “In the Navy” and “Go West,” and in 2020 the Library of Congress inducted the Village People into its National Recording Registry.

US President Donald Trump commented on Willis’ death in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday.

“He was a great and happy guy who loved that I used his groups song, YMCA, at my Rallies,” wrote Trump.

“We will think of Victor every time YMCA is played, like today, and all throughout this July Fourth Birthday week,” he said.

“My condolences to his wonderful family and group, Victor Willis will be sorely missed, God Bless Him!!!” added Trump.

In December 2024, Willis explained to CNN that after initially asking Trump to stop using “YMCA” at his rallies, he’d had a change of heart.

“I noticed that Trump actually likes the song and that he really seems to have a lot of fun with it,” he said.

“It’s done a lot to make people pay attention to the song again, and I decided I wasn’t going to stop him from using it,” Willis added. “I’m thankful and impressed.”

That same month, Willis also hit out at the idea that “YMCA” was a gay anthem.

“As I’ve said numerous times in the past, that is a false assumption based on the fact that my writing partner was gay, and some (not all) of Village People were gay, and that the first Village People album was totally about gay life,” he wrote on Facebook.

“This assumption is also based on the fact that the YMCA was apparently being used as some sort of gay hangout and since one of the writers was gay and some of the Village People are gay, the song must be a message to gay people. To that I say once again, get your minds out of the gutter. It is not.”

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